HANFORD School has just celebrated 50 years of providing riding opportunities for disabled children at its grounds.

Hanford Group RDA (Riding for the Disabled) was joined by Hanford pupils, the school’s stable team, and the Hanford ponies to celebrate 50 “amazing” years of riding at the day and boarding prep school for girls.

Staff at Hanford made a special cake for the occasion, which some of our younger pupils presented to the RDA volunteers, surprising them at the end of their weekly riding session.

Sandy Millard, chief instructor of the Hanford Group RDA, has been involved in the group for over 38 years, and together with treasurer Sue Ryan, they have overseen many hundreds of children with special needs on their weekly rides around Hanford School and its beautiful grounds.

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The Hanford Group RDA brings children from Yewstock School in Sturminster Newton to ride at Hanford, the majority of whom are on the autistic spectrum.

Each term RDA volunteers look after a group of approximately ten children, many of whom have not ridden before.

The RDA volunteers get the ponies ready, then three adults accompany each pony and child on a ride.

“It is so uplifting for the children to be on a pony, the beams on their faces are so rewarding for us volunteers and we just love seeing the children having such a lovely time,” a spokesperson said.

“The children are always in such a hurry to get up on the ponies and the only issue we have is encouraging them to get down at the end of the ride!

“They benefit enormously from their rides and learn so much from the ponies. Their teachers tell us that, for many of the children, it is the highlight of their week.”

The RDA group has two ponies, Guy and Theo, who are stabled alongside the other Hanford ponies.

All the ponies at Hanford are loved and cared for by the school’s stables team, and they get huge amounts of attention too from the lucky Hanford pupils who ride them throughout the week.

Charley Pearson, head of riding at Hanford School, said of the partnership between Hanford and the RDA: “It is wonderful that we have been able to support this amazing charity and give so many children so much happiness over the past 50 years.

“Riding is at the heart of life at Hanford and we see daily how our pupils benefit so much from being around, and riding, the ponies; being able to share this with a wider group of children is something we really value.”

The Hanford Group RDA is always on the lookout for more volunteers.

Sandy says that volunteers do not need riding experience, so as long as they are relatively fit, like being outdoors, enjoy children’s company and are happy to be around ponies.

Get in touch with Sandy via Hanford’s School Office at office@hanfordschool.co.uk or 01258 860219.